Admiral says US can intercept North Korean missile

US defenses could intercept a ballistic missile launched by North Korea, the top US military commander in the Pacific said Tuesday as the relationship between the West and the communist government hit its lowest point since the end of the Korean War.

Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of US Pacific Command, said Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles represents a clear threat to the United States and its allies in the region. (AP)